If you’re heading across the country for a well-earned staycation this summer, it can be tricky entertaining the little ones for hours. Hearing the dreaded “are we there yet” can make the journey feel that much longer!
Well, you’re in luck! With our guide on how to keep the kids occupied on long journeys, the drive will be over in no time.
Pack a charged tablet with lots of films and games
If your kids are glued to their tech on a normal day, then when better to let them loose on the tablet than during your car journey! So make sure the tablet is fully charged, or bring a portable charger if the journey is extra long, and download a few kid-friendly titles from Netflix! Or perhaps once the excitement of the film dies down, make sure you have downloaded a few videos from YouTube! Kids love digital games as well, so be sure that the tablet has plenty of your little one’s favourite games to keep them quiet and content!
Bring plenty of snacks and drinks
A lot of children use eating and drinking as a way to stop boredom. So, if you’re going on a long trip and don’t want to be making any stops, be sure to stock the car up with plenty of snacks and drinks. Bring fruit or vegetable snacks such as carrot sticks and raisins to be healthy, plenty of water, and maybe a sweet treat or two to help with any tantrums or crying. This can also help stop them from saying they’re hungry every 5 minutes, which means no need to stop at every service station for some scran!
Remember to pack their favourite toys and some colouring books
If there’s anything to entertain the little ones, it’s their favourite thing. So if your kids have any favourite toys, then bring those along! Whether they’re barbies, soft toys, or a Rubix cube, they will be sure to give you a few minutes of silence. If you bring along a colouring book, some pens or pencils and some stickers, that will be sure to buy you a few extra hours of quiet time. Just make sure the little ones aren’t car sick!
Travel late at night or early in the morning
There are plenty of benefits to travelling at early or late times in the day. For example, once you arrive at your destination you will have more time to spend there. The roads down will also be a lot quieter. The best thing though is that the little ones will likely be snoring away! Late at night will be past their bedtime, and if it’s early in the morning they will likely just drift back asleep! This can be a big benefit if you’re travelling a long way, or if the kids don’t enjoy long journeys anyway.
Play some fun car games
If you don’t want too much mess or chaos in the car, then why not play some games with your kids! There are lots of games you can play just with your surroundings, such as eye spy, or the number plate game when you think of a sentence with the last 3 letters of the car’s numberplate! If you’re begging for a little bit of peace while you drive, then why not try the ‘quiet game’, where whoever stays quiet the longest wins!
Plan your journey for toilet breaks at service stations
